Circulation is melting away at the Boston Globe, on top of vanishing ad revenue, and the need for deep cuts is forcing closure of its national news desk and two sections within the broadsheet.

But the New York Times Co., parent company of the Globe, is standing by Globe publisher Richard Gilman and his management team  even as Morrissey Boulevard has become a drag on Times Co. earnings.

The Times Co. said yesterday its Boston paper's weekday circulation plunged by nearly 8 percent over the past six months compared to last year  dropping 35,000 copies to 416,000, despite heavy marketing and steep price discounts offered by the newspaper.

Its Sunday circulation fell by 55,000  about 7.6 percent  to 667,000.

Circulation at the parent Times newspaper saw a slight gain during the same period, the company reported.

The Globe is also the Times' poor performer on the ad front.

Its New England Media Group  which includes the Globe and Worcester Telegram  saw ad revenue fall by 4.1 percent in September and by 2.9 percent in the third quarter, the company said.

The Times ad revenue, in contrast, climbed by 3.8 percent in September and by 2.9 percent during the third quarter.

Times Co. earnings fell by more than 50 percent in the third quarter because of higher costs and a charge related to staff cutbacks.

The company's shares fell 26 cents yesterday to a six-year low of $27.49.

Janet Robinson, chief executive of the New York Times Co., attributed the Globe's poor showing to a ``continuing softness in the Boston economy.''

Despite the Globe's drag on companywide performance, Times Co. spokeswoman Catherine Mathis said the company is standing by Gilman and his Globe management team.

The entire newspaper industry has been suffering in recent years, due to a severe advertising recession and increased competition from the Internet.

The Boston Herald, owned by the private Herald Media Inc., saw its circulation fall by about 4 percent during the past six months, half of which Herald officials say is attributable to changed ABC auditing rules.

Al Larkin, a Globe spokesman, said about half of its six-month circulation drop is due to a decision to eliminate bulk giveaways to hotels and other sponsored deliveries.

Robinson had kind words yesterday for the Herald, which is searching for new investment partners.

``We always feel it's important to have a strong competitor in the market,'' she said. ``We certainly want the Herald to have more investments and certainly to continue to be a strong competitor.''

Last month, the Times announced that it would eliminate 500 jobs companywide  about 135 of them at the Globe.

Yesterday, sources confirmed that the Globe plans to eliminate its national news department.

The unit's two reporters have reportedly been offered jobs within the metro department in the Hub newsroom. But the fate of the four editors is unclear.

Globe editor Marty Baron declined comment.

Larkin would only say the Globe is ``realigning our national desk'' and placing responsibility for national coverage under control of the 11-employee Washington bureau.

Meanwhile, the Globe is also planning to eliminate its Education section on Sundays, as well as eliminate its Life At Home as a separate section. It will be rolled into the Thursday Living section.

The Federal Reserve reported recently that Massachusetts was the ONLY state in the union that lost more residents than it gained last year. Massachusetts also ranked 45th in economic growth. Gee what a suprise!

Vermont was also in the 40s and so was Maine and R.I. Conn. was around 34th.

Now, New Hampshire, which has the lowest tax rate in New England? The Granite State ranked 14th...heads and shoulders above its neighbors. Jeepers, what does this tell us?

No surprise that the Boston Globe is going downhill in circulation. A knee-jerk liberal broadsheet is what it is.

The Globe is "Stuck on stupid."

4
posted on 10/20/2005 8:15:14 AM PDT
by RexBeach
("The rest of the world is three drinks behind." -Humphrey Bogart)

Both the Globe, and its parent, the Times, are violating the First Rule of Shovels: "When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." For the people at the Times to say that they have "confidence" in the people at the Globe is like Bill Clinton bringing out Sandy Berger to vouch for his (Clinton's) integrity.

Janet Robinson, chief executive of the New York Times Co., attributed the Globe's poor showing to a ``continuing softness in the Boston economy.

errr, actually Janet, I would say it's because of the softness in your editorialist's brains that are driving your subscribers and advertisers away. Of course you don't want to hear that, since you intellectual idiot types firmly believe you are right about everything - but the public is finally catching on about MSM.....here's to you being totally broke in five years...salute!!!!

Quote: Al Larkin, a Globe spokesman, said about half of its six-month circulation drop is due to a decision to eliminate bulk giveaways to hotels and other sponsored deliveries.....

The Houston Chronicle has also resorted in recent months to giving away papers (thrown on home lawns) and lowering the price of their Sunday paper, etc in an attempt to stem the circulation loss figures - just so they can keep ad prices up in their liberal rag-sheet.

15
posted on 10/20/2005 8:30:27 AM PDT
by VRWCTexan
(History has a long memory - but still repeats itself)

In addition to an almost comical left-wing bias, the Globe has in recent years adopted an "All-Gay-All-The-Time" motif in its reportage. Hardly a day goes by without a "Gay"-focused story on the front page, or at least in the daily focus section. The Sunday magazine, most recently, contained what can only be described as a loving profile of Barney Frank, and the Style section routinely profiles openly gay personalities. All of this reflects the choices of the Globe's editorial board, a majority of whom are - you guessed it.

Fortunately, the Sports section remains largely untouched by bias, and it is the only reason left that I read the paper at all (that and Jeff Jacoby on Thursdays - he's the Globe's "house conservative". The rest of the op-eds range from the merely inane (Tom Oliphant) to the "Stuck-on-Stupid" (Derrick Z. Jackson) to the sickeningly anti-American (James Carroll). When you're too loonie left for Massachusetts, you've got a problem.

I'm proud to say I've done my part by cancelling my subscription several months ago and laughing at their repeated calls to renew. I get called at least once a month. EVERY TIME I tell them know and tell them I disagree with their politics. I guess I should tell them to take me off their list, but I do enjoy laughing at them and taking up their time.

The entire newspaper industry has been suffering in recent years, due to a severe advertising recession and increased competition from the Internet.

It's down right delicious that these morons STILL can't figure out that their lying and crappy reporting coupled with their blatant liberal bias is their main problem. It sure is a comfort to know they are so clueless and will keep digging their hole.

20
posted on 10/20/2005 8:39:01 AM PDT
by demkicker
(Life has many choices. Eternity has only two. Which one have you chosen?)

The despicable James Carroll is also a dishonest (see his Constantine's Sword) militantly anti-Catholic secular ex-priest who still has not grown up and is still in rebellion against his quite respectable (military intelligence) father who is now long dead. It is all in Carroll's autobiography.

27
posted on 10/20/2005 9:20:10 AM PDT
by BlackElk
(Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)

It doesn't matter anyway what his leanings are as he will soon be out a job too! Like his buddy Howard (the big mouth of Vermont)Dean says....the fish starts to stink at the head first! He is the head of a stinking fishwrapper of a newspaper!!

I just finished reading those letters to the Boston Globe folks. They are really funny as can be, and they "stick and twist" their knives so deliciously it's a trip to read. Thanks for the humor and thanks for the posting.

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